‘A big if’

Published: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 at 6:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 at 6:33 a.m.

The lists of back-to-school supplies parents are expected to buy for their children rub Dick Roberts of Mountain Home the wrong way. “It’s ridiculous,” he says. “To say there’s a definite lack of standardization and uniformity would be a gross understatement of epic proportions.

Why aren’t there standard lists for all Henderson County schools? Why are certain brand names specified for notebooks and other items?

Why are certain colors of file folders being specified when they can’t all be found in a single package? Isn’t that a minor problem that could be solved with colored stick-on tabs for the different subjects? Of course, if, and it’s a big if, the state Legislature weren’t continuously cutting funding and taking money to blow on anything and everything else, maybe the schools could furnish supplies to the students as was done for decades. You know the state legislators and the governor aren’t supplying their own paper towels, tissues, hand soap and other items for their offices. I suppose if they continue cutting funding for the schools and misappropriating money they’ll soon be having parents furnish toilet paper, too.”

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‘FUZZY TERM’: John K. Roth of Mills River, after reading Doug Freeman’s and Don Keefauver’s comments published in a recent Mountains to Molehills column, decided the column was printed mostly to fill space. But here’s his response to Mr. Freeman and Mr. Keefauver: “First, we are provided 40 lines on guns from someone (Mr.

Freeman) who can’t tell the difference between 15 bullets per second and one bullet per second and also doesn’t realize that handguns are usually semi-automatic and can shoot one bullet per second. The issue at Newtown wasn’t the weapon but rather the nut who was allowed to hold it.

‘Assault weapon’ is a fuzzy term at best and doesn’t lend itself well to polemics. If I get hit by someone with a rock or a stick, is it not an assault weapon? The term is currently being used as a scare tactic. I suspect the real agenda of those doing so is the elimination of all firearms. Mr.

Freeman needs to understand that the Second Amendment allows citizens to arm themselves. Then we are treated to 40 lines from the over-quoted Mr. Keefauver. All he said was that people believe stuff that isn’t true or that Mr. Keefauver doesn’t think is true.

What a revelation!”

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LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Come on out to Historic Johnson farm today at 10:30 a.m.

and listen to traditional folk tales as old as these hills and also hear some intriguing stories that are much newer.

The storytellers, who will perform inside the Interpretive Center, include Ronnie Pepper, who has more than two decades of experience working as an educator of young children and was the director of Henderson County Head Start Centers; Virginia “Blackfeather” Thompson, who is a longtime local resident and Cherokee descendent whose stories are often based on Cherokee lore and are always intriguing to youngsters and adults; and Virginia Newsome, a wellknown local storyteller and resident since 1999. Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for children. ◆ Celebrating its 150th anniversary, historic St. James Episcopal Church at 766 N. Main St. is offering guided tours that will feature its Gothic architecture, stained glass windows and English-made pipe organ and tower bells. The tours will take place beginning Saturday and continue on Aug. 24, 31 and Sept. 7. They include observing the guild of change-ringers as they practice pulling ropes in precise sequence to swing heavy bells high overhead. Reservations are not necessary, and tours begin at 10 a.m. at the cloister, the covered stone walkway near the entrance.

<p>The lists of back-to-school supplies parents are expected to buy for their children rub Dick Roberts of Mountain Home the wrong way. “It's ridiculous,” he says. “To say there's a definite lack of standardization and uniformity would be a gross understatement of epic proportions.</p><p>Why aren't there standard lists for all Henderson County schools? Why are certain brand names specified for notebooks and other items?</p><p>Why are certain colors of file folders being specified when they can't all be found in a single package? Isn't that a minor problem that could be solved with colored stick-on tabs for the different subjects? Of course, if, and it's a big if, the state Legislature weren't continuously cutting funding and taking money to blow on anything and everything else, maybe the schools could furnish supplies to the students as was done for decades. You know the state legislators and the governor aren't supplying their own paper towels, tissues, hand soap and other items for their offices. I suppose if they continue cutting funding for the schools and misappropriating money they'll soon be having parents furnish toilet paper, too.” </p><p>◆ </p><p>'FUZZY TERM': John K. Roth of Mills River, after reading Doug Freeman's and Don Keefauver's comments published in a recent Mountains to Molehills column, decided the column was printed mostly to fill space. But here's his response to Mr. Freeman and Mr. Keefauver: “First, we are provided 40 lines on guns from someone (Mr.</p><p>Freeman) who can't tell the difference between 15 bullets per second and one bullet per second and also doesn't realize that handguns are usually semi-automatic and can shoot one bullet per second. The issue at Newtown wasn't the weapon but rather the nut who was allowed to hold it.</p><p>'Assault weapon' is a fuzzy term at best and doesn't lend itself well to polemics. If I get hit by someone with a rock or a stick, is it not an assault weapon? The term is currently being used as a scare tactic. I suspect the real agenda of those doing so is the elimination of all firearms. Mr.</p><p>Freeman needs to understand that the Second Amendment allows citizens to arm themselves. Then we are treated to 40 lines from the over-quoted Mr. Keefauver. All he said was that people believe stuff that isn't true or that Mr. Keefauver doesn't think is true.</p><p>What a revelation!” </p><p>◆ </p><p>LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Come on out to Historic Johnson farm today at 10:30 a.m.</p><p>and listen to traditional folk tales as old as these hills and also hear some intriguing stories that are much newer.</p><p>The storytellers, who will perform inside the Interpretive Center, include Ronnie Pepper, who has more than two decades of experience working as an educator of young children and was the director of Henderson County Head Start Centers; Virginia “Blackfeather” Thompson, who is a longtime local resident and Cherokee descendent whose stories are often based on Cherokee lore and are always intriguing to youngsters and adults; and Virginia Newsome, a wellknown local storyteller and resident since 1999. Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for children. ◆ Celebrating its 150th anniversary, historic St. James Episcopal Church at 766 N. Main St. is offering guided tours that will feature its Gothic architecture, stained glass windows and English-made pipe organ and tower bells. The tours will take place beginning Saturday and continue on Aug. 24, 31 and Sept. 7. They include observing the guild of change-ringers as they practice pulling ropes in precise sequence to swing heavy bells high overhead. Reservations are not necessary, and tours begin at 10 a.m. at the cloister, the covered stone walkway near the entrance. </p><p>Reach Lou Parris at 828-694-7836 or molehills@blueridgenow.com.</p>